


A Tear in the Sky

by Ninjagirl27



Series: A Labyrinth of Our Own Creation [1]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi Goro Attends Shujin Academy, Akechi overthinks all the time, Alternate Timeline, First Meetings, M/M, Sort of Role Swap AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:13:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23764402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninjagirl27/pseuds/Ninjagirl27
Summary: Akechi's first day at his new school in a new city doesn't pan out too well. It doesn't take long for rumors to taint his image to his dismay. Lost in unfamiliar territory, its a surprise that anyone would approach him so boldly. Insistent on talking to him, Akechi doesn't have a choice but to be strung along by this complete stranger.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: A Labyrinth of Our Own Creation [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711996
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63





	A Tear in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> So Imma be frank, I just rewrote the ending of Madoka Magica Rebellion but Shuake flavored. I thought the ending would fit and I was in the mood for it. It almost goes beat by beat the exact story, so if you feel like you've felt this than you'd be correct. I hope you enjoy anyway.

Goro could hear the scared murmurs of his peers as he navigated the cramped halls of his new school. He could feel the collar of his uniform cling tighter than ever before, building heat beneath the fabric. He tried to keep his head down and play right into the school hands, yet no matter where he went he was turning heads. He wasn’t new to being the center of attention, not to brag but his looks and charm alone made him a bit of a heartthrob back at home, but the circumstances this time around wasn’t as pleasant.

“That’s the transfer student?” he heard some girl ask, “I thought he’d be more… scary.” He bit his tongue and the urge to laugh, the sheer audacity to say such a thing out loud shocked him. He wasn’t used to people so openly speaking ill of others, until today

“Don’t say that,” another student hissed, “ I heard he’s got a criminal record. Who knows what he’ll do.” The students dared to glance his way before spinning around and playing dumb, as if their not so sublte movements wouldn’t be spotted so easily. He passed them quietly, deciding that any attempt to rebuttal their claims would fall on deaf ears. 

The more he traversed the school, the worse the feeling of unease filled him. There was a few minutes before the bell rang and the students would scurry off into their homerooms, meaning he’d have to go through the whole song and dance of introductions all over again. His teacher, Ms. Kawakami, if he remembered right, told him to wait before entering class so she could ease him into his new routine. All he could do was lean against some wayward wall and stare into his screen until he was called into center stage. 

As he counted the seconds that ticked away, an unsettling feeling crawled down his spine. That feeling that someone was watching him shouldn’t have been as unsettling as it did, but he couldn’t shake the feeling no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t want to look up from his phone, so he waited patiently as the mob of students clamored back into their desks and seats. 

While everyone settled down, he put away his phone as he heard his cue. The teacher called him inside as the room grew dead silent. A plethora of curious eyes stared him down like prey, waiting to sink their teeth into the source of gossip as soon as he stepped out of line. Everyone looked as if they were ready to bite, especially a student near the back of the row, but he didn’t want to stare so long. “Please, introduce yourself,” his teacher asked.

“My name is Goro Akechi. It’s nice to meet you all,” his voice was soft and pleasant, hiding the disdain and spite building beneath. There was another wave of chatter from his audience but he couldn’t care less about how they felt. He’d just fizzle out into thin air if he could, just to get their uneasy gazes off him for just a moment. He gave them a curt wave before looking for further instructions. 

“Thank you, please take the open seat next to Kurusu over there,” she gestured towards the only open seat right next to the student with the piercing gaze. Said student rose their hand clad in black leather, and gave him the smallest inkling of a smile. He shifted his head in a way so that the white glare from the window was gone, revealing silver eyes and long lashes behind his glasses. As soon as the two made eye contact, the coldest of chills shot through his entire body, every hair stood straight up, his blood turned cold. He couldn't fathom why but everything felt wrong in that milisecond the two looked at one another. Even after he took his seat and stayed dead silent for the rest of the period, he couldn’t stop the feeling of those gray eyes firmly planted on him.

When the bell rang, Goro was content to continue exploring the rest of the school. His natural curiosity called for action, no matter how mundane it would be. He began to pack up his stuff until he felt a light tap on his shoulder, startling him from his focus. He turned over and looked up, only to see his new seat mate staring down at him as his gloved hand rested on his shoulder. He felt so small staring up through the student’s frames, silently looming over him completely expressionless. “Hello, Akechi. How’s your time here so far?” his voice was much deeper than he expected, his tone flat yet somewhat nostalgic.

“Oh, hello… Kurusu was it? It’s been ok so far,” his polite answer barely hid the confusion. He tried to shrug away from his hand to no avail.

“That’s good, would you like me to show you around? It’d be my pleasure.”

“Well,” he tried to think of any reason to decline without being rude, afterall he had no reason to be. He rather be alone honestly, give himself enough time to grab his bearing before he made a good impression on his audience. However, he didn’t want to seem rude so he didn’t have much of a choice, “I’d appreciate that, actually.”

“Great,” Kurusu smirked as he offered an open hand to him, “shall we get going then?” Goro looked at his palm as if he’d never seen it before. He raised his hand to take it but paused right before they touched. He stared down the glove as for the second time today he’s hit with that sense of familiarity. His appifanty was apparent enough to prompt some prodding, “is something wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Goro shot up from his seat with his bag in hand, “sorry about that. I was just thinking. That’s all.”

Kurusu didn’t seem to buy it as the expression faltered for just a moment before bouncing right back to basic pleasantries, “that’s alright. You just moved here and all. Must’ve been hard. I understand.” Kurusu turned away to swipe his bag from his seat, “let's go then,” he called before walking down the aisle of the desk. Goro took it as a sign to get going as his classmate out paced him by a fair bit, making him scurry behind him like a baby duck. 

When Goro caught up, Kurusu spun around and walked backwards to face him. He wore a cheeky smile as he watched Goro pant a bit. “You could’ve waited for me,” Goro pouted causing the other to chuckle. 

“Well, we don’t have all day. I’ve got to make this tour quick, ok?” he looked forward to watching where he was going, waving high to some blonde student passing by. Goro expected some basic details about the layout of the school, some tips to get started, plus some notable details. Instead, what came nice was a bite to the throat, “so, Goro, why are you a grade behind?” the question came out of the blue and with it more questions in his mind. Goro was left in stunned silence, trying to formulate a response and questions all at the same time. “Hhm, cat caught your tongue?”

“Wha- first of all, how did you know how old I am?”

“The same way the rumors started, your record leaked and now everyone knows everything. I couldn’t not know even if I wanted. Now it’s your turn to answer.”

“Oh, well… I missed a year of highschool due to moving issues, I didn’t have stable housing for a bit of time. So now I’m behind all my peers. Tragic isn’t it?” He waited to see how the student would react, only for nothing on his face to change. Kurusu let out a small hum of acknowledgement or conformation, he couldn’t tell which, as if his response was as basic as the weather. He furrowed his brows, “sorry my story isn’t as interesting as you expected.”

“What, sorry. I was just… nevermind. I didn’t mean to be rude,” he looked back at him earnestly. That air of confidence seemed to crack a bit before that unreadable expression returned just as they turned the corner. 

Goro couldn’t bring himself to hold it against him and sighed, “it’s fine. Next, since when were we on a first name basis?”

“Call me Akira then, it’s only fair.”

“I-I suppose if it’s ok with you then sure. But when did I give you permission?”

He watched Akira’s shoulders tense up, “sorry, does that make you uncomfortable? My mistake. I’ll stop if you want.”

“It’s not that big of a deal if we’re both going to do it. Just wanted to know what made you so bold? That’s all.”

He heard a little tsk escape his classmate, “it’s a habit. I get to know people pretty fast, I guess it slipped my mind that we haven’t gotten that far yet.” 

“Oh, I assume you’re quite popular around here? Must be nice to have so many friends,” he tried to hide the jealousy in his voice with an overwhelming amount of plastic cheer. Akira only hummed in response, barely an affirmative to his question. Goro began to piece together the boy in front of him, and he already hated it. 

From the time he’d just spent with him, he was probably the type to take their position and privilege for granted, expecting the world to bend backwards for his sake. From what Goro could guess, Kurusu expected him to fall into the palm of his hand and become fast friends with the outcast. Their staged bond would definitely boost the kid’s ego tenfold plus give the new kid the false satisfaction of friendship. He wanted to spit on his high horse already but he was in no position to lash out after such a small thing. Instead he asked, “so why did you offer to lend me a hand because it seems less like a tour and more like an interrogation.”

Akira abruptly stopped, almost making Goro crash right into him. He took the smallest peak back at him and looked him dead in the eye, “ I just feel like we were fated to meet. That’s all.”

“Oh,” one of those kind of people thought, that thinly veiled excuse made him sick to his stomach, another feeling he had to keep down. Akira resumed their little march around the school without delay, picking up his feet once again.

“Do you believe in fate, Goro?” Akira asked.”

“Hmmm,” the question caught him off guard, “oh me? If I’m going to be honest, not really. It just seems unlikely that everybody follows a predetermined path. After all, people can be so unpredictable.”

“Well, you never know,” he said in a low tone, “maybe there’s strings that tie us together. Maybe our strings are tied. There’s no way to tell. Isn’t that nice to think about?”

“There’s no way to prove it either.” Akira let out a light chuckle, ruffling his hair as he moved. Goro felt the urge to cross his arm, to huff and puff and make a big fuss. Instead he tried to give a name to the character guiding him. Now with the added information that Kurusu was naturally popular, believed in fate, and was unbelievably bold the one word he landed on was naive. 

Goro realized that they were on the highest floor of the school, about to circle around to where they were before. Their little lackluster tour was about to end soon, a bit too soon for his liking. Somewhere in his gut, he wanted to keep up their conversation, to dissect this character in front of him and get to know the nitty gritty. He took a peak at a clock, the hands creeping ever closer to the next bell. “It seems like this is where our paths part, unless you have Math next.”

Akira looked back at him, “what are you talking about? We haven’t even gotten to the best part.” He could see a ghost of excitement tug at his expression, breaking that quiet mask once again.

“Huh, aren’t we on the third floor? Where else do we go?”

“See, this is why you needed a tour. Otherwise you’d have been completely bored for the rest of the year.”

“Just tell me where we’re going,” he crossed his arms as they passed another set of stairs.

Akira made a sharp turn to the right, placing a foot on the bottom step and looking at him, “we have to go fast, so you better keep up, honey.”

He scoffed, “why do we-”

Akira reached down to lace his hand with Goro’s, “just, come on,” he pulled the newbie up the steps making him yelp in surprise. A chorus of stomps clamoured up the stairs, past some stowed away chairs, away from some dirty mops. The two students disappeared up into a hidden entrance, to a secret hideout that no one bothered to check. By the time the two were out of sight, their pace screeched to a halt. 

“W-warn me first, Kurusu,” he said through labored breaths.

“You would have objected,” he smiled, “but now we’re here and in the clear.”

Goro took in his surroundings, “the best place in the school is some secret broom closet?”

“Nope. It's a super secret spot that no one knows about.”

“Do you tell all your friends that?”

“No, you can only get up here if you have the keys,” he heard something jingle in the other’s pockets, “so keep this place between us, ok?” 

Now he was baffled, “why are you telling me this. We just met today, Kurusu.” He didn’t answer him, choosing to stick the keys in instead. With a rattle he heard the lock click loudly as he tucked away the keys once again. “What’s your angle? Why are you showing me this.”

“Something inside me is telling me you’d love this place. I don’t know how or why but I’ve learned to follow my heart. I feel like we’re already friends. It’s fate, Goro. I know it.”

Goro shook his head, letting a small grin creep onto his face. The strange naivety that this lunatic was spewing was somehow getting to him. The sentiment that this little hidey hole was exclusive made his heart soar a bit. His mind ran to rewrite his impression of this kid, maybe he was just being genuine. He didn’t want to fall for such a nice sentiment, but something about him was just begging to give in. For a moment, he let the idea of a friendship cross his mind before dispelling the thought right after. 

Akira motioned towards the door, tempting him to take the bait and break the rules for him. “Are you letting me do the honors? How chivalrous.” He put his hand on the cold metal, sending sensations from the tips of his hands to his very core. Finally, he broke the magic seal that had kept his curiosity begging as the light poured in from outside. He squinted his eyes as he stepped out onto the roof of their school, free of prying eyes, free of the brain numbing chatter, free of the stale stench that clung into the air. 

His head immediately turned upwards into the eternal orange kissed sky in all its enormous glory. Ever since he could remember the space above him was always this bright vibrant color. Streaks of white and pink would dance between the paint stroked sky, forming enormous swirls of clouds. The sun that traversed the great ocean of warmth shone brightly with it’s halo slowly spinning around it. He always loved watching that spiked crown twirl around that bright ball, he couldn’t imagine a world without it. As Goro embraced the fantastic view from the school, his attention is pulled away by the other voice with him.

The whistle of the wind and the bustling city beneath them made Akira’s hushed voice barely audible,“...for you.”

“Sorry, can you repeat that?”

“Ah, I asked, is the view good for you? It’s a pretty lucrative spot, not many people come up here. We’re not supposed to be here either, but I think it’s worth the risk.” 

“I can see why, this place is…” but the words expected to say wouldn’t come out. They sat at the tip of his tongue but were cut in his throat, refusing to leave his lips. He looked at his new friend and it didn't seem right but he didn’t know what else to say, friend’s hopeful eyes. He waited for a response with that same warm smile from before. Still, the warmth he expected didn’t feel right, didn’t sit right, didn’t fit right. Then another word came to him, one that was just rushing to spill out, “wrong.”

“W-what? Goro, what’s wrong,” his voice was wracked with worry.

“This… this isn’t right. Is it? I feel like… I shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s no big deal, I come to the rooftop all the time. W-we won’t even get in trouble for it, I promise. Teachers don’t come here, and hall monitors don’t know about it. We’ll be fine, ok?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I-” he turned away from Akira to look off into the distance. His eyes trace to outlines of the cityscape in the distance, vague black shadows in the distance. “There’s something wrong here, isn’t there?”

“... no. No, not at all. Everything is fine, maybe you’re sick or something. Let’s go back,” Akira reached out to grab Goro’s hand with all the concern in the world in his eyes, “right where you belong.”

Goro locked eyes with Akira, then stared down at Akira’s gloves. He pulled back, escaping the other’s grasp and creating some distance. “Akira I…” he turned away, “I don’t belong here,” as the words left him his sight began to distort.

The world tore away from him, as if were pen on paper while splotches of red and black infected his vision. His head started to ache, as if there was something in his head banging the walls of his skull, desperate to escape. He brought his hand to his temples, trying to dull the ever growing pain that bloomed inside. Everything around him dampened, growing dull and gray by the second. The sugar coated sky melted away, dripping off the canvas, creating a cacophony of color. The world he knew was falling apart before him in a way he could never fathom. Fear stung his heart, he didn’t want to stare at the mess for another second. Pulling his eyes to the floor hoping to relieve the pain he shouted, “I don’t belong anywhere. I shouldn’t be her-” His tirade was cut short as he felt a weight latch onto him. 

“Don’t say that, Goro,” Akira hugged Goro from behind and pulled him flush with his body. With how close they were, his pleas were near deafening as they echoed in Goro’s mind. He could feel the younger boy tremble as his suffocating grasp tightened, as Goro pulled his eyes up, the strange visions faded back to the soft pastels once again. That unbearable searing agony behind his eyes faded too, the tension slipping away. Akira’s words were like pillows for his brain, cushioning the pounding feeling in his mind. “You’re right where you belong, don’t ever think otherwise.”

“A-Akira? Let me go,” he tried to shake him off but his grip remained firm. Akira moved his hand onto his shoulder and spun him around, “what’s gotten into you?”

Akira stared at him, that comforting smiley missing from his face, as he slid his hands down his arm and into Goro's hands. His trembling didn’t stop, even as he squeezed his palms and let out a sigh.

“Goro, I have a question.”

“W-what is it this time?”

“Goro, would you walk down the path of destruction and blindly follow fate and it’s uncaring judgement as it tore you inside out, all for the sake of this sick world’s survival. Or would you warp that path into your own hands even as it ripped your hands to flesh and bones and your own mind be damned. Which would you choose? Please tell me.”

He waited for the words to settle in, as if this question made any sense. Fates? Paths? Destiny? He had just as many questions yet none of them seemed important. It shouldn’t have made sense, and yet he had an answer. Even if this kid was crazy, it wouldn’t hurt to indulge in a response, to tangle with the madness for a bit. “Although I don’t believe in fate, if it was the sake of the world then I would. If you want justice then it’s best to take it into your own hands.”

Akira stopped shaking, as if the words Goro said were the key to his peace of mind. Akira slowly picked up his fingers and let go of the boy. He took a step back, as if to admire some art piece on display. He let out a weak laugh, “of course you’d say that. You’re you after all.” Akira tugged at the leather gloves on his hands, pulling them off finger by finger. Goro’s mind was still full of questions but before any could slip out Akira stepped forward to gently grab his wrists. 

“What are you doing?” he whispered but Akira ignored him. Instead he gave every ounce of attention to the hand in his, slipping on the worn down leather onto Goro’s slim digits. They slid on easily, fitting snugly around Goro’s fingers unlike the awkward way they clung onto Akira. While Akira worked on Goro’s right hand, he flexed the fabric on his left to test the waters, once again making him feel warm inside. He barely noticed the soft peck Akira gave to his other hand, before bringing the two pairs together. Goro watched as Akira’s hands explored his, roaming over the expanse of his new gloves and staring longingly at them. 

“I knew it, these always looked better on you,” he said as he rubbed circles above his thumb. He finally looked up at Goro, “one day, we’ll be enemies again and you’ll kill me all over again. But that’s fine. I don’t care. I’ll keep making a world where you can be happy, and every time you tear it down, I’ll build it all over again.”

“Akira, what are you talking about? You lost me at enemies.”

Akira turned away, “you’ll understand one day, and when you do I’ll be here. So don’t think about it so hard ok? What am I saying, of course you will. That’s just you. And I wouldn’t change a thing about that.”

Goro stood there stunned, his head still throbbed, his body was still. “Aki-” the school bell rang, cutting him off before he could get a word in. He looked out into the city streets then back at Akira, but he was already closing the rooftop door. His brain told him to give chase, to run after the strange student and make him answer every question that buzzed in his mind. Goro was used to making quick, snappy judgments of people, read them like books and determine whether or not he’d like them or not. He couldn’t tell where Akira landed on that scale for better or for worse. Maybe he did think about it too much, maybe Akira really was just a sentimental guy who wanted to be friends and nothing more. Maybe he was spot on, that Kurusu was just using him to look good and uphold his social status. He just couldn’t tell, and maybe that was ok. At that moment, Goro decided that no matter what ulterior motives Akira had to approach him so fast he wouldn’t mind. He wouldn’t care. He just wanted someone interesting to talk to, and he would be a good enough fit. 

As he dragged his legs to his next class, he thought about what he saw. His body didn’t feel right, his eyes didn’t feel right, at that moment nothing he knew felt right. As he looked out the window to look at the sky he loved, he felt the pain in the back of his head make its return. He closed his eyes to take in a sharp breath, but the air tasted stale and metallic.

**Author's Note:**

> BTW, the sky is always orange and there's always been a halo around the sun. When Akira recreated the world he thought he'd shape it to be as beautiful as Goro. Will I ever explain how Akira got this power, mayhaps. If I remember to update the series then maybe. Lets hope.


End file.
